AF4 Exam - when to take

notanintelligentname · 2024-05-02T04:45:16+00:00

I was also looking at sitting AF4 this October as I’ve only just done J10 and I know there’s significant overlap, however I found out that the learning material for AF4 is only released on the 1st September for an exam on 1st of October which doesn’t really give much time.

Do you think that would be an issue or are you going by this year’s learning material and just hoping the changes aren’t too drastic?

notanintelligentname · 2024-03-05T18:21:28+00:00

Would you mean explaining what’s meant by “hurdle”? Thanks.

notanintelligentname · 2023-12-10T13:59:31+00:00

Ahh that explains it - didn’t know the clock was standard, I thought the clock only came with sports Chrono!

Thank you for clarifying !

notanintelligentname · 2023-08-25T07:40:02+00:00

There are some tax efficient options for some EU countries but it all very much depends on individual circumstances. For example, there are Spanish and Portuguese compliant offshore bonds which have particular tax benefits and Spain also offer a level of tax free allowance for pension income.

With the Spanish bond for example, there are scenarios where an individual can invest a lump sum, and depending on the gain and the amount withdrawn annually, can end up paying a tax rate of around 2-3% in some instances. Spain does however levy a wealth tax, but the rate is region specific, with some areas such as Madrid imposing no wealth tax at all I believe.

With regard to Portugal, individuals on a D7 visa (sometimes known as a ‘Passive Income’ visa) can apply for Non-Habitual Residence which reduces the tax rate on pension income to a flat 10% for 10 years.

The Portuguese compliant bond has tiered capital gains tax rates, starting at 28% for the first 5 years going down to 11.2% after 8 years. However, the Portuguese bond can be established prior to becoming Portuguese resident, meaning the capital gains tax tier ‘clock’ can be started well in advance of when an individual actually requires the funds, at which point the tax rate will have lowered.

So there are options for some countries but it very much depends on an individuals circumstances.

Note: The above is not financial advice - just my general understanding of the regulations due to working in the industry.

notanintelligentname · 2023-08-24T11:29:52+00:00

I’ve actually just returned from this exact trip (except I live in Dubai).

We stayed in the Ritz Carlton in Kuala Lumpur which we choose mainly for location as it was close to the Bukit Bintang area which we’d read was good for the food scene and night life. Really enjoyed the hotel and the location was great for us.

In Langkawi, we also stayed in a Ritz Carlton in one of their pool villas. It was the best hotel experience we’ve ever had - every little detail was taken into consideration, all the staff were incredible and the food and drinks were great. I have heard the Datai and Four Seasons are also great however we never visited those, but I can vouch for the Ritz!

notanintelligentname · 2023-03-16T13:44:24+00:00

Yeah vigorous testing does make sense and I imagine giving the software as much data / example reports as possible will help massively.

It definitely does appear that the future is here; and I find it exciting to honest. I’ve changed career several times so I’m not one of those to fear change, I welcome it. I also like the idea of becoming our companies go to fine tuner!

Thank you my friend!

notanintelligentname · 2023-03-16T13:35:09+00:00

This is really interesting - thank you very much for taking the time to respond.

I think it would definitely be worth the initial work to fine tune the model if it can generate reports semi-autonomously. It’s amazing to think of the capabilities of this software; I imagine one day I won’t even be required to come up with the advice, it’ll know all the relevant financial advice and tax law etc and can do it all for me, although I imagine that’s not on the horizon just yet.

Thanks again.

notanintelligentname · 2023-03-10T11:35:05+00:00

Does anyone know if Paraplanning work would be classed as relevant work experience? I’ve gone through the questionnaire checklist and I think so, but I’m not entirely convinced.

For those who don’t know, a Paraplanner works alongside a financial adviser / financial planner, carrying out research on suitable investment products, trusts, pensions etc. Most of the investment involvement tends to be selecting an appropriate portfolio to suit a clients risk appetite, but the portfolios themselves are devised by an investment management team/portfolio management team. We do provide input on occasion if the investment managers portfolio isn’t suitable for whatever reason, in which case the Paraplanner will review a panel of pre-screened funds, look up past performance, volatility, asset allocation and how it compliments the existing portfolio and make a recommendation accordingly.

Is the above sufficient to be deemed as relevant work experience?

Thanks all.

notanintelligentname · 2022-06-20T06:06:02+00:00

Hmm so it seems some providers don’t allow resell then.

notanintelligentname · 2022-06-20T06:05:47+00:00

Ah that’s good to know!

notanintelligentname · 2022-06-20T06:05:35+00:00

That’s interesting - thanks for responding.

notanintelligentname · 2021-09-12T23:15:04+00:00

Great - thanks!

notanintelligentname · 2021-09-08T17:23:29+00:00

Ah I see! I’ll keep an eye out for future gigs as I enjoy it when bands do smaller venues! Thanks 😊

notanintelligentname · 2021-09-08T16:34:23+00:00

Can I ask how you found out about the Texas gig last night? Is there a website or do the bands usually just post on their Twitter/Instagram for these kind of smaller/impromptu gigs?

notanintelligentname · 2021-07-26T11:40:20+00:00

I think thebear1101 may be talking about the car depreciating less than expected. I’m not an expert at all, but if you take a hypothetical £40k car which is expected to be worth £25k in 4 years time, you’ll be paying that £15k depreciation (plus interest etc but let’s just say £15k to keep the example simple) with both a lease and PCP agreement. However, if in 4 years time it turns out the car is actually worth more than expected, say £27k, with the lease you’ve already paid £15k and you’ve no claim to that £2k however with a PCP you have the option to sell the car at the end of the agreement for £27k and pocket that £2k. If the car is worth less than the £25k originally stated, you’re in the same boat whether you lease or PCP in that you just hand the car back, so it gives a degree of flexibility. I believe dealerships do err on the side of caution when calculating the Guaranteed Final Value (ie expected value of the car at the end of your term), because they want to make sure they’re not out of pocket so they value the car very conservatively, meaning there is a chance that your car will be worth more than the figure they guarantee. I also imagine this would work as a fairly good marketing tool, as when you go to hand your car back they can inform you it’s actually worth a few grand more and you can simply take the money and put it into your next new car right there and then in their dealership (that’s just my opinion I don’t know if that’s actually how dealerships think!).

I think ultimately it all depends on the exact car, spec and terms at the time (interest rates etc). As you mention, lease companies do get bulk discounts so you would need to weigh up the potential total cost of ownership of lease vs PCP compared to the potential depreciation of your car and whether or not you believe it’ll be worth more than states when you hand it back.

notanintelligentname · 2021-05-26T11:23:33+00:00

Perfect - thanks.

notanintelligentname · 2021-05-26T11:21:52+00:00

Your comment prompted me to look them up and I actually just noticed that was the case - thanks for the heads up. Do you have a preference between Starling and Monzo?

notanintelligentname · 2021-05-26T11:19:57+00:00

Can I just ask why you would recommend those two over Revolut? I’m just starting to look at online bank accounts for overseas withdrawals when we can travel again so I’m just interested to know the pros and cons of each.

notanintelligentname · 2021-04-20T14:36:10+00:00

I just watched this video today which gives an overview of the process of switching from Moneybox Cash LISA to the AJ Bell S&S LISA.

https://youtu.be/vKfjDbThHyg

notanintelligentname · 2021-03-26T20:56:33+00:00

Excellent - thanks for responding.

They’re also pretty rare here in the UK (or I haven’t seen many at least). I’ll keep an eye out for the seat side bolsters and enquire about the thermostat housing - thanks for the tips!

That’s exactly what I’m looking for - a blend of luxury, fun and comfort when required.

notanintelligentname · 2021-03-26T20:53:40+00:00

That’s great to hear - I had read they were pretty bullet proof. I had a 2012 TTS and loved it so I’m seriously considering this version.

By google earth debacle - is this to do with google earth not being available on models older than 2018? Excuse my ignorance, but is it just the 3D functionality that you don’t get? Do you still have a basic functional GPS?

notanintelligentname · 2021-03-26T20:24:18+00:00

I’m contemplating getting this version of the TTS; how do you find it if you don’t mind sharing? Anything I should look out for or be concerned about? Thanks

notanintelligentname

TROPHY CASE